Tuesday, January 23, 2018

My Birthday

Today is my 72 birthday. My parents were Bertha June (1921-1994) and Michael James Garofalo (1916-1997). My two brothers were Paul and Phillip.

My parents and I in 1946

I grew up in East Los Angeles and attended St. Alphonsus Catholic Grammar School, Cantwell Catholic High School (Honors Diploma), California State University at Los Angeles (B.A. Philosophy), and the University of Southern California (M.S. Library Science). I worked for the City of Commerce Public Library System from 1963-1969. Blanche Karen Eubanks and I were married in 1967. We celebrated our 51 wedding anniversary this week in 2018.

Karen and I in 1970Biloxi, Mississippi

Served in the United States Air Force, Air Training Command, from 1969-1973. Honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant. I worked for the County of Los Angeles Public Library System from 1974 to 1998. I retired as a Library Administrator, and Regional Administrator for the East Region in the San Gabriel Valley. I worked at offices in the Compton library, Bell Gardens library, East Los Angeles library, Norwalk library, Huntington Park library, and West Covina library.

We lived in Bell Gardens and Hacienda Heights - both in the East Los Angeles metropolitan area. Karen and I, and our families and community, raised two children, Alicia June and Michael Delmer. We now have two grandchildren, Katelyn and Makenna.

My daughter and I in 1977

Our family around 1990

I started creating websites in 1995, and a blog in 2005. Karen and I lived in Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, from 1998-2017, in a rural area on a five acre parcel. We both worked part-time for school districts. I was the Technology and Media Service Supervisor and District Librarian for the Corning Union Elementary School District; and Karen was a Special Education Instructional Aide.

Yosemite, North Dome, 2005

Family, 2007

Karen, Home in Red Bluff, 2015

Karen retired on June 14, 2014, after working part-time since 1998 as a Special Education Instructional Assistant for the Tehama County Department of Education in Red Bluff, California. Mike retired on July 1, 2016, after working part-time since 1998 as the Technology and Media Services Supervisor for the Corning Union Elementary School District in Corning, California.

I taught yoga, taijiquan, qigong, pilates, and other fitness classes at the Tehama Family Fitness Center in Red Bluff from 2002-2016.

In 2017, we moved to Vancouver, Washington. Karen We are now both retired.

Family in Oregon in 2013

Vancouver, Washington, 2017

I am very fortunate in having fairly good health, a positive attitude, and stamina for work and play for all of my long life. I was fortunate in being able to be productively employed for 54 years, and earning good medical insurance for Karen and I. I am a philosopher by inclination and practice. I have been active with various sports, physical conditioning programs, walking, fitness, Taijiquan, Yoga, hiking, etc., during my entire healthy long life. My personal goals for 2018 are to: 1. Develop and maintain a dietary habit that reduces my blood sugar. 2. Reduce my body weight to 225 pounds. 3. Exercise every day. 4. Read and write. 5. Help and take care of my wife, family and friends. 6. Make new friends in Vancouver. 7. Support humanistic and environmental causes. 8. Enjoy old age. That about sums it up!